


Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams

by chick_with_wifi



Category: Batman (Comics), Birds of Prey (Comic)
Genre: Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Canon Compliant, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/M, Families of Choice, Rescue Missions, Stephanie Brown is Robin, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-02-07 10:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18618778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chick_with_wifi/pseuds/chick_with_wifi
Summary: When the Justice League go missing in action; Barbara, Dick and Stephanie embark on a dangerous journey to rescue them.





	1. Barbara

**Occhiolism - the awareness of the smallness of your perspective**

“I’m telling you, I’m right!”

“And _I’m_ telling _you_ you’re delusional!”

As soon as Barbara put her headset back on after a quick coffee break, she was greeted by the arguing voices of Green Lantern and the Flash.

“What are they yelling about now?” she asked, fairly certain Hal and Barry wouldn’t be paying enough attention to actually hear her.

“This time?” Black Canary said with a heavy sigh. “Who knows.”

“Maybe your Canary Cry would shut them up,” Barbara suggested.

“Don’t give her ideas,” said Batman. His disapproving glare was strong enough that she could feel it over the comms.

Even though he couldn’t see her, she held her hands up in defeat. “Alright, my bad.” She cleared her throat. “Cyborg, what’s your situation?”

“Ready to intercept any transmissions,” he replied. “Not that there has been one, and I’m only picking up minimal activity in the vicinity.”

“Superman?”

“Almost there,” he said. There was a hiss indicating he had entered the Watchtower from the atmosphere, then his cape swished as he landed. “Aaaaand I’m here.”

“Oracle, we greatly appreciate you working as mission control for us,” Wonder Woman said.

“It’s my pleasure. And since everyone is now here…” Barbara broke off when she realised the shouting match from earlier was still in full swing.

“But your argument doesn’t even make sense!” the Flash said.

She sighed. “Ugh, they’re still at it. Can someone please smack them upside the head?”

“On it!” Black Canary announced, a little too eagerly.

A second later, there were two near-simultaneous cries of ‘ow’ and a small chuckle from Black Canary.

“It’s about time someone hit them, I’m just sorry it wasn’t me,” muttered Cyborg.

“As I was saying,” Barbara continued. “Since everyone is now here, I’m not going to go over the plan again as I’m fairly sure you all know it backwards at this point. Nor do you need me to remind you how important your work is, so instead I’m going to wish you the best of luck. I have every confidence you will succeed. And I’ll be monitoring everything from here, so just let me know if you have any problems.”

“You heard Oracle, let’s get to work,” Batman announced.

Everyone acknowledged their agreement and Barbara could hear them all getting ready to carry out their mission. Putting on gear, double-checking the Watchtower’s shields.

“Great Hera!” Wonder Woman gasped.

“What is it?” Barbara asked, worried. She wished she had a visual on them, it was stupid of her not to.

“Oracle, we have a problem,” murmured Black Canary.

Green Lantern began to say something, but the connection was beginning to crackle and Barbara couldn’t make out what it was.

“Lantern, repeat please.” When there was no reply, she said, “Justice League, do you copy? Does anyone read me?”

The whirring of her computer’s fans increased, so loud she could hear it despite her headset. Her entire system was clearly working overtime, and when smoke began to pour out of it she knew things were serious. Everything was fried and she’d lost her connection to the League.

Luckily, she had plenty of spare equipment laying around. She managed to boot up one of her laptops but, as she’d expected, their signal had vanished. There was only one time before when something had remotely destroyed her computer and severed her connection, and that wasn’t something she was in a hurry to repeat. When Dinah had been transported to Apokolips.

 

_Oracle’s Audio Log  
This is the audio log of Barbara Gordon, but people in the superhero community no doubt know me better as Oracle. The origin of that name is actually quite significant. Not that anybody has ever asked me why I chose it, but if they did I would reply that it came to me in a dream. Strictly speaking, however, that’s only partially true. Since I was a child I’ve always been interested in mythology, although I’ll admit I know more about a Trojan Horse computer virus than the one used by the Greeks to enter Troy. Early in my career as Batgirl, I related a lot to the Oracle known as Cassandra. She was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, and Apollo cursed her to give true prophecies that nobody believed. I might not have had the gift of divination, but I did have a lot of experience with people not taking me seriously. Even when it was in their best interests to do so._

_Now, however, I find myself relating to a different Oracle. The Pythia, also known as the Oracle of Delphi, was the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo. She was very influential and considered the highest authority in the otherwise male-dominated Ancient Greece, both of which I like to think apply to me as well. Is that arrogant of me to say? I don’t think so. Not when it’s true. Anyway, the Oracle of Delphi sat on her tripod in the temple and gave out prophecies, much like how I sit in my wheelchair in the clocktower and give out information._

_Going back to what I said earlier, it is indeed true that my choosing the name Oracle was inspired by a dream I had. Just a few months into my injury, when I was still finding it difficult to adjust both emotionally and physically, I had a dream. I was speaking to the Pythia, the Oracle, and asking her how I was supposed to carry on when I had lost so much. Her reply? “You have lost nothing that matters”. That phrase struck a chord within me. Then she removed her mask, the mask I now use as my symbol, and it was my own face looking back at me. I haven’t told anyone, but that was the moment I first became Oracle._

 

Barbara called a meeting in the Batcave and drove over there as fast as she could. She deliberately parked a few blocks away, so she would have the chance to speak with Dick in person before they met everyone else.

As soon as she gave him the details over the phone, same as she had with Alfred, he’d taken the rooftop express over from Blüdhaven. While she was getting out of the van, she heard him drop down onto the sidewalk next to her. He knew better than to help her into her chair, and instead waited patiently for her to get sorted.

“There’s always something, huh?” he asked, leaning against the wall. He was dressed in civilian clothes, with a bag slung over his shoulder that held his Nightwing costume.

“And don’t I know it.” She zipped up her leather jacket and started rolling towards Wayne Manor. “The whole Justice League being out of action is cause for serious concern, especially considering how many threats they have to deal with. Apokolips is a very dangerous place even for people like them. And how would someone get hold of a boom tube anyway? You can’t exactly get one off eBay.”

“You’re thinking it’s part of a bigger plan,” Dick said.

She nodded. “Yeah. And speaking of plans, I have an idea. It’s not the safest, but I was thinking we could go there - the two of us - and rescue them. I have some technology that will let us get out of Apokolips, but we’d need a magic user’s help to get in.”

“Do I want to know why you have that kind of tech lying around?”

“Probably not, no. Anyway, what do you think? Are you in?”

“Babs, I trust you with my life. If you think this is the best course of action, of course I’m in.”

She smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

By that time, they had reached Wayne Manor. Alfred opened the door for them and led the way down to the cave. “I have already informed everyone of what you told me over the phone,” he explained.

“Thanks, Alfred,” Barbara said.

They heard ambient chatter on their approach to the Batcave, but it fell silent as soon as they entered.

Barbara looked around the room. All of the available bats had assembled there, however their numbers were sadly depleted. Bruce was in Apokolips, Tim was retired, Jason was currently out of town and Stephanie was at a party. Which just left herself, Dick, Cass, Duke, Kate and Alfred.

“Alfred assures me you already know of the dire situation,” she began, “so I will fill you in on the next part of our plan. Dick and I have decided to go to Apokolips and rescue the Justice League. Which means Gotham will be left in your capable hands.”

“I’m in charge, right?” said Kate. She was wearing her Batwoman outfit and sitting on Bruce’s desk. “I am the oldest vigilante and Bruce’s cousin.”

“Actually, no. You haven’t had as much experience protecting Gotham as part of a team as some people here.”

“Alfred is...in charge?” Cass asked from where she was sitting with Duke.

“No again,” Barbara said. “Duke is in charge.”

“I am?” Duke exclaimed, clearly taken aback.

“Yeah,” Dick said. “You’re really skilled, a great leader and you can go out in the daytime. I know you’ll do us proud.”

“Wow. Thanks, man. I don’t know what to say.” Duke rubbed the back of his neck, clearly feeling somewhat awkward.

“You don’t have to say anything. Just protect the people of Gotham, like you always do,” Dick said, smiling.

“And Cass is your second in command,” Barbara added.

“Not that I’m objecting to your decision, but I do have a question,” Kate said. “If protecting Gotham is so important, why are both of you going to Apokolips?”

“That’s a good point. We recognise the importance of the Justice League and how they protect the whole world. And Dick and I both have different skill sets which will help us along the way. Plus, Bruce is important to him and Dinah is important to me. There’s too much on the line to leave it for one person.”

“Alright. Best of luck.”

“Thanks Kate,” Barbara said. “This mission is highly time sensitive so we need to go, but we’re sure Gotham will be safe. See you all later.”

“Bye,” Dick called over his shoulder as they left. But not before Alfred shoved a Tupperware container of food into his hands ‘just in case’.

 

_Oracle’s Audio Log  
If few people know about my alias Oracle, then even fewer know about another alias of mine. Rolling Thunder. It’s an online pseudonym I’ve been using to contact other hackers and computer geeks. It helps to be active in the community and keep track of what people are talking about, and it’s also how I met Ted Kord. The name is a reference to my wheelchair, naturally, but it’s also the name of a military operation during the Vietnam War. _

_It was a gradual and sustained air bombardment campaign and the most intense air/ground battle that took place during the Cold War. It was also what kickstarted the US supporting South Vietnam in the battle against communist North Vietnam, which was ultimately unsuccessful._

_But the history if it isn’t what interests me. The strategy is. You see, the campaign gradually expanded in both range and intensity, with the airstrikes targeting an increasingly wider area of North Vietnam, then shortly after that they introduced ground troops which increased their roles from defensive to offensive. And that is the kind of thing I plan to do with my work and influence as Oracle. Start off small and working localised cases, then expand and go on to have greater involvement in international affairs._

 

“Zatanna has agreed to meet us after her cabaret show,” Barbara said, having just checked her latest text. “If we go now, we should arrive just before it finishes.”

Dick nodded. They were heading back to where the van was parked, moving quickly since every moment could mean more danger for the Justice League.

Barbara’s phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket to see the caller ID. It said Stephanie, so she swiped to answer.

“Hello?” She tried to keep her chair moving by pushing the wheels with her free hand and the elbow of her arm which was holding the phone, but it was very slow going and quite uncomfortable. When Dick silently offered his hand, she took hold of it with her free one and allowed him to pull her along. Not something she would usually allow him to do, but it was extenuating circumstances.

“Babs, hey,” Stephanie said. There was a lot of background noise and chatter, indicating she was still at the party. “Sorry to bother you, but some people have had too much to drink and things aren’t going too well. And I've been drinking as well, I didn’t know who else to call. Can you come and pick me up?”

Barbara thought for a second. It wasn’t a good time, but the party was on their way to Zatanna’s so they could always get Alfred or someone to collect her from there later. And she didn’t like the idea of leaving Steph in a place she didn’t feel safe.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can. There’s kind of a lot going on though, I’ll tell you about it in person.”

“Thank you so much. Can you text when you arrive? I’m hiding in the bathroom now but I’ll try to sneak out when you’re here.”

“Sure thing. See you in a bit.”

She hung up and put her phone away. Then let go of Dick’s hand and pushed herself the rest of the way.

“I’m driving,” she said as she saw Dick glance towards the driver’s door.

“Of course.”

She transferred into the van and Dick put his bag and Tupperware in the trunk then got in the passenger side.

“This is a nightmare situation,” Dick said as they drove. “Whole League taken, just us going to save them.”

“I know. There’s so much on the line here and I don’t know what to do. Or if I made the right decision. But...there are worse people to be saving the League with than my boyfriend,” Barbara replied.

Dick smiled, which remained the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. No matter how paranoid she was being, he could always calm her down.

They reached the house where the party was taking place. Due to the thumping music, strobe lighting and abundance of teenagers drinking and vomiting on the lawn, there was no mistaking the venue. Barbara tapped out a quick text and moments later saw Stephanie sneaking out around the side and ducking behind a bush as she approached the van.

She slid into the back passenger seat, dragging her purse behind her, and leaned back against the headrest, groaning. “Worst. Party. Ever. Thank you so much for coming for me.”

“That’s what family is for,” Dick said.

“What’s this super shady ‘situation’, then?” Steph asked, opening her eyes. She seemed mostly sober, so presumably had only had a few light drinks.

Barbara explained the details, keeping it brief.

Steph thought for a moment then said, “I want in.”

“Excuse me?” Barbara was so taken aback she took her eyes off the road for a split second to look at Steph in horror in the wing mirror.

“On your rescue mission. I’m already here and I honestly think I can help. Just the two of you against all the Eldritch Horrors in that place isn’t a good match, you could use an extra person. Please.”

Barbara was torn. Yes it was risky but she didn’t want to tell Steph ‘no it’s too dangerous’ because she’d heard that too many times over the years and knew how patronising it could be. But she knew to go with her gut feeling and said, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but alright. You’re in. Welcome to the team, Robin.”

“Thank you, Oracle.”

They pulled up outside the venue where Zatanna was performing and piled out of the van.


	2. Stephanie

**We live in cities you’ll never see on screen, not very pretty but we sure know how to run free. Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams, and you know we’re on each other’s team ~ Lorde, Team**

Hanging back in the doorway, Stephanie, Barbara and Dick were able to catch the end of Zatanna’s cabaret show. She borrowed an object belonging to one of the audience members and made it vanish then reappear under their plate, which earned her a huge round of applause.

Stephanie had always admired Zatanna, even though they had never properly spoken, but she had always wondered why Zee insisted on doing sleight of hand in all her shows even though she was a real magic user. And a strong one at that, going from what Steph had heard.

Zatanna finished her show by pulling a rabbit out of her top hat then bowing with a flourish. As the audience applauded, the curtains drew closed.

Barbara gestured for Dick and Stephanie to head through the door labelled ‘crew only’ and led the way to Zatanna’s dressing room, where she was waiting for them.

Zatanna was still wearing her work clothes and feeding her rabbit a carrot. “So what do you need my help with?” she asked.

“We need you to transport us to Apokolips,” Barbara said. “The Justice League have been kidnapped and we’re going to rescue them.”

Zatanna looked up, worried. “Apokolips? That happened once before and we only narrowly escaped. Plus I can’t come with you, unfortunately. I have to help my dad with some important spells.”

“We don’t need you to. We just need a way to get there. I have a way back.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? It’s a very dangerous place. They have Darkseid, the female furies, parademons…”

“We know. And we’re prepared to take risks. Please, Zatanna. You know how important this is.”

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Ready?” When they nodded she raised her hands. “tropsnarT eerht ot spilokopA!”

The world shifted for a moment, then Steph cautiously opened one eye to glance at her surroundings. It looked like some hellish desert, with lava and rubble littering the ground and a threatening red sky.

“We made it,” Dick said, sounding surprised. “What do we do now?”

Barbara grabbed the backpack off the back of her chair and placed it in her lap. “Now we see if my tech was knocked out on the way here.” She began getting things out of the bag. “Laptop, check. Phone, working but no signal. As expected.” 

As the tech got more complex, Barbara began muttering to herself and Steph couldn’t understand a word of it. Geek Speak wasn’t her area of expertise. To her, it sounded more like Greek Speak.

“Aha!” Barbara triumphantly held up a dark blue canvas bag. “You guys know how to pitch a tent?”

“Of course,” Dick said, taking the bag off her. “Allow me.” He took out the various pieces and instructed Steph and Babs on what to hold where. He was a professional who had obviously been doing this for a long time.

Within minutes he had constructed a tent more structured and spacious than any Steph had seen before. Which was interesting, she hadn’t thought Babs the sort to splurge like this. And especially not on a tent, of all things.

“You like it?” Barbara asked.

“Love it,” Steph replied. “If this tent was in Gotham I’d live in there full time. Get my mail redirected there, take out a mortgage, the whole shebang.”

“Very funny,” Babs teased.

Dick gestured for them to enter the tent before him. “Ladies first.”

Inside, it looked even fancier. Steph was half expecting an Ikea desk and bookcase to materialise any second.

And she wasn’t entirely wrong, since Barbara began unfolding a collapsible picnic table and putting her various electrical devices on it while they powered up.

“Okay you know what, I gotta ask,” Steph said. “How have you managed to fit all this in your bag. Is it the TARDIS?”

“Top secret information,” Barbara replied with a wink.

“That’s not an answer!”

But Barbara didn’t say anything further and turned her attention back to her laptop. While watching Babs set up her makeshift control station, Steph couldn’t stop yawning.

She figured it was a mix of the party she’d been at and magical portal travel-lag, so decided to lay down and take a short nap.

 

_Stephanie Brown’s Journal: Robin Edition_  
Dear Diary,  
Sometimes I think I play so many roles I’m not sure who I actually am anymore. Am I the good student, the loving daughter, the driven vigilante? Am I Stephanie, Spoiler or Robin? When I put the suit on it feels like an extension of me, but at the same time it feels like a mask. God, I’m starting to sound like Babs. 

_Anyway, I’d been thinking ‘hey, why not go to a party? Maybe that’ll help you feel more like an actual teenager and get you out of this funk.’ So that’s exactly what I did. Only...it didn’t turn out too well. Everything was going fine at first, until some of the boys’d had a little too much to drink and were starting to get violent. I’d already made an awful mistake at a party once and I wasn’t about to do it again. So I called Babs to come and get me like the sensible person I am. And that’s when I realised why my mission to party back to my old self wasn’t working. These hard-drinking party-going layabouts aren’t my people. Babs, Tim, Cass, Dick, Damian, hell even Bruce. They’re my people now._

_Somehow my entire social circle changed without me even noticing. And something that started out as a way to get back at my useless ‘supervillain’ father has become an integral part of my identity. I’m so glad I put that Spoiler costume on all that time ago. But now I can’t imagine it any other way. The only downside is lying to my mom, but let’s be real. There’s no way she’d let me carry on if she knew about this.  
Lots of love, Steph_

 

Stephanie woke up to the sound of Dick and Barbara talking in hushed voices. Her head was throbbing so she didn’t open her eyes. A second later, she made the mental connection that it was probably caused by doing all those shots without a single glass of water. Stupid.

“Got anything on your scanner?” Dick asked. “I can’t hear it clicking.”

Barbara scoffed. “It’s a highly sophisticated radar scanner, not a Geiger counter.”

“All looks the same to me.”

“That’s because you’re a luddite.”

“I’ll have you know, I have more tech skills than the average Joe. I’m just not a total computer geek like you.”

Deciding that she wasn’t awake enough to deal with their technobabble, Steph rolled over and went back to sleep.

A while later, she didn’t know how long exactly, she felt Dick shaking her awake and pressing something into her hand.

“Whazzat?” she mumbled.

“Water, with some extra sugar and salt. Should help restore your energy.”

“Thanks.” She sipped it and pulled a face. “Gross.”

“Yeah it’s not the nicest thing.” Dick winced. “Probably should have warned you about that. Sorry.”

“‘S okay.” She propped herself up on one elbow and kept drinking the water.

Barbara turned her chair to face them. “How are you feeling?” she asked Steph.

“Somewhere between ‘piece of roadkill’ and ‘human being’.” She sat up properly, which made Dick move out of her way. “What results are your high tech scanners yielding?”

“Not much at the moment,” Barbara said. “It’s looking for anything that might point us in the direction of the League. Kryptonian DNA, technology, Speed force, etcetera. But it doesn’t have anything solid yet.”

“Where did you get all this stuff, anyway?” Dick asked.

“I like to be prepared.”

“There’s prepared, then there’s whatever this is. And you didn’t have time to get all this stuff custom ordered before we came here. So you must have it just lying around. Sometimes you seriously scare me, Babs.”

“We don’t have the luxury of safety,” she replied, her voice taking on a dangerous edge. “Preparation is the best way of ensuring our continued survival. I was caught unaware once and that’s not a mistake I’m going to make again.”

“I’m sorry,” Dick said, looking down at the ground. “I know you’re doing the best you can.”

“Alright,” Stephanie said in a forced cheerful voice when the tension had begun to dissipate. “What’s for breakfast?”

 

_Stephanie Brown’s Journal: Robin Edition_  
Dear Diary,  
Okay. I admit it. Following Dick and Babs to the end of the world to rescue the Justice League might not have been my smartest move. And when I say the end of the world, I mean it. Apokolips looks pretty much exactly how I imagine the 5th circle of Hell. Or is it the 6th? Whichever one has fire. Babs would be so mad at me right now, she probably has Dante’s Inferno memorised or something. Because she is a super genius, after all, and Dick is an incredible acrobat and fighter. Bruce sees them both as equals, or at very least his seconds in command. And me? I’m just a college student who sometimes feels like she’s playing dress up in her vigilante costume. 

_But here’s the thing. I have skills, I know I do, I am Robin for goodness sake! When I help rescue Bruce and the rest of the Justice League, he’ll see I’m serious about being in this line of work. I know what I’m doing. And yeah, I’m not just doing this for him. I mean, partly I am because Batman needs a Robin and right now the only person filling that role is me. But I’m also doing this to prove it to myself as well. Because I am part of this team, and being on a team means you have each other’s backs, always.  
Lots of love, Steph_

 

While Dick was scouting out the area and checking there wasn’t any immediate dangers they weren’t aware of, Barbara and Stephanie ate bowls of instant soup from the sachets Babs had brought.

The tent was silent, so when her laptop beeped Barbara was so startled she nearly dropped her bowl of soup. Steph tried to disgyise her laugh as a cough, but she wasn’t very successful.

“We got something!” Babs frowned at the screen and pushed her glasses up her nose. “Trace of speed force energy about three miles east of here.”

Steph stood and pulled her Robin outfit out of her purse, preparing to put it on over her clothes. “Then we know where they are, let’s go!”

“No, it’s not going to be that easy,” Barbara said.

But Steph didn’t listen and was already making her way to the exit of the tent. Barbara grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Stephanie, wait.”

Steph stopped walking but kept straining against Babs, who didn’t loosen her grip. 

“Steph - look at me,” Barbara ordered, angrier than Steph had ever heard her.

Begrudgingly, Stephanie turned. Barbara put a hand on the side of her face, forcing Steph to make eye contact with her. “Just listen to me. We can’t go rushing in there guns blazing and hope to succeed. Okay?” Steph didn’t respond. “ _Okay_?”

“Fine.” 

Barbara released her hold and Steph wrenched her arm back, then threw her costume down on the floor and folded her arms.

“Steph…”

“I don’t wanna hear it.” She couldn’t care less about whatever ‘better than thou’ speech Babs had prepared. They had the chance to rescue the Justice League! But she was telling her not to take it.

Barbara bit her bottom lip and glanced around the room. “Look. I know you want to be a hero.”

“You don’t know though.” Steph sat down, facing the wall of the tent, and rested her chin on one hand. “You don’t understand!”

“What don’t I understand?” Barbara asked in a level voice. “Bruce’s power plays and his ways of getting you to prove yourself, holding you to higher standards than any of the boys? How hard it is getting people to take you seriously when you’re a young girl?” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, I know. It’s being a vigilante in Gotham without any ties to the Wayne family, or one tenth of the resources they have.”

Steph looked over her shoulder to glare at her. “You’ve made your point.”

“My point is that I wasn’t trying to stop you. I was trying to help you. This is what we do, we save people. But in order to do that, we need to keep our heads, think clearly. This is the job, Steph. Right here. This is the job.” She hesitated. “And I know we don’t know each other very well yet, but I hope to prove I’m someone you can trust. I’d like to help you.”

Steph blinked. She knew Cass trusted Babs and she’d been a great mentor for the current Batgirl, but Steph had only worked with her a handful of times. Though the three of them had made a great team just a week before this mission. And if Cass said Babs was a good friend then it must be true. Making her decision, she stood up and hugged Barbara. “I do trust you. I wouldn’t come to Apokolips with just anyone, you know.”

Hugging her back, Barbara laughed.

The zipper on the tent opened and both women froze. Dick stepped inside and looked at them, shaking his head. “Man. You step outside for five minutes and miss everything.”


	3. Dick

**Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you ~ Nietzsche**

Dick rested a hand on Babs’ shoulder as he watched her zoom in on where the speed force energy signature was coming from. It was an area of land that looked almost exactly like everywhere else in Apokolips with a red dot indicating the exact area.

“That’s where Barry?” he asked.

Babs twirled a lock of red hair around her finger. “Theoretically. Provided it isn’t a trick. Or a mistake. We can’t afford to take any chances.” She reached for her bag. “So allow me to produce the next thing in my bag of tricks.”

She rifled around in the depths of her bag for a few seconds before producing a remote controlled drone. Dick was impressed. And also really wanted to fly it.

Apparently Babs could see this from his face, since she held it out to him and asked, “Would you like to do the honors?”

He nodded and took the drone, carrying it to the entrance of the tent. “This way?” He pointed in what he hoped was the right direction.

Babs double checked the red dot on screen. “Yep.”

Then he switched the drone on and gently nudged the joystick. When he was sure it was ready to fly, he let go and began steering it towards the location of the energy signature. If you ignored the life-threatening circumstances, it was kind of fun. He even let Stephanie have a turn when he caught her looking at it with jealousy.

Babs, meanwhile, was watching the drone’s camera on screen and providing occasional instructions. “Keep going. Left a bit. Nearly there.” When she spoke, Dick noticed the subtle change in her voice that indicated she was in Oracle mode.

“Anything?” he asked when they had been at it a while.

“Nothing yet,” Babs said. She bit her thumbnail. “And there aren’t any indications that any other Justice League members are there.”

“So either Barry’s scouting ahead or the something happened to others.” He took a shaky breath. “I’m not too manly to admit I’m worried about them.”

“Hey.” Babs put a hand over his and squeezed comfortingly. “We’ll do whatever we need to in order to rescue them.”

“Yeah. That’s what I’m afraid of.” He hesitated. “The JL are Earth’s greatest heroes, and these bad guys must be very skilled to have captured them. I’m worried about how far we’ll go to protect them, what lines we’re willing to cross. Babs... I’m always afraid we’re one bad day away from becoming the monster.”

Barbara removed her hand and backed her chair up a few inches. “You’re starting to sound like him.” She didn’t need to say the name, Dick knew exactly who she meant. The Joker. “But you’re not him, Dick. You’re nothing like him.”

Dick didn’t know what to say. His head was reeling from worry and being compared to the Joker, even if she’d followed it up by saying he was nothing like the clown.

“I know this might not be my place,” Stephanie began tentatively. “But we’re the good guys because we help people. Every night you put yourself at risk as Nightwing, the same way you do during the day as Officer Grayson. You work outside the law but your morals are strong. That doesn’t sound like a villain to me.”

“Thanks, Steph,” he said. “You’re very wise.”

“Please tell everyone.”

He laughed.

“No, I’m serious. The second we’re somewhere with signal you need to send a mass text, or maybe like a chain email or something -”

“Nobody sends chain emails any more.”

“They do! I’m telling you, I got one the other day.”

“Then you must be out of date. Perhaps you’re the real Luddite here, hm?”

While they were talking, he felt Babs take something out of his hands but it didn’t register until a few minutes later that she was flying the drone around and frowning.

He went over to her makeshift desk. “Problem?”

“I’ve found the area where the speed force is supposedly located but there’s nothing there.” She gestured at the screen. “See?”

“Huh,” Stephanie said.

Just then, the picture on screen wobbled and tilted. It swung around again and they were able to catch sight of what looked like someone in armour with wings. The camera moved quickly towards something, which Dick realised was the ground, before the picture was obscured by a web of cracks and the screen went black.

“There goes my drone,” said Babs sadly. Her mouth was a grim line.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say we were supposed to be the ones getting smashed,” Stephanie said. Her tone was light but she looked shaken.

“I think you’re right,” Dick agreed.

Babs pushed her hair out of her face and let out a breath. “Right. From this we can conclude the mastermind behind this is someone very familiar with Apokolips. That thing that destroyed my drone was a parademon, usually employed by Darkseid. But I don’t think he wouldn’t try something this subtle.”

“It’s probably a local,” Stephanie decided. “...Are there locals here?”

They heard a commotion from outside the tent. Dick and Steph were already wearing their vigilante costumes and Barbara had her escrima sticks to hand, so they responded instantly and raced outside.

 

_Dick Grayson’s phone, outgoing voicemail  
Hey Wall. It’s me. Dick. By now you’ve probably heard about the JL. I’m sure it’s all over the news - in the caped community, anyway. Me, Babs and Steph are on our way to rescue them, and I don’t want to consider the possibility that we might not come back, but it is a very dangerous mission. So if the worst does happen...please make it known that we all knew what we were getting ourselves into and we chose it willingly. I’m sorry to put all this on you, buddy, but I know I can trust you to do the right thing. And please, do what you can to look after everyone and make sure they’re alright. And I give you my word, we’ll do everything in our power to make sure the Justice League - Barry included - get home safely, as well as ourselves. Thanks, man. I love you. _

 

Three parademons landed on the ground and Dick quickly began fighting. He could see his punches weren’t so much as making a dent in their armour so he aimed for their faces and other exposed parts.

He ended up back to back with Babs, the two of them fighting with the perfect unison they had achieved from doing this since they were kids.

Stephanie was holding her own in the fight, and even grabbed one of the parademons and ripped its wings off. While it shrieked in pain and distress, she poked it in the eyes.

“What?” she asked when she caught Dick staring at her.

“Nothing,” he replied, shrugging. He knew Stephanie could be one heck of a spitfire and part of what made her such a good Robin was her determination and pragmatism.

“Dick now!” Babs shouted, and linked arms with him and leaned forward, which allowed him to kick the parademon full force right in the stomach. Or where it’s stomach would be if it had one. He wasn’t sure.

That forced it to bend over, and when it did Dick clocked it with one of Babs’s escrima sticks. It wasn’t knocked out but it did seem dazed.

“They seem to have some sort of hive mind,” Babs said as she threw her other escrima stick at one of them, so hard it bounced off their armour and back into her hand. “Look at their movements. They’re lacking free will, at any rate. Use that against them, fight smart not brutal.”

“Got it,” Stephanie said, readjusting her Robin mask. “Let’s dance.”

She got something out of her utility belt and held it concealed behind her back, then charged at the parademon. When it lumbered towards her and took a swing, she ducked then threw the object she’d been holding. It was a grappling hook and line, which wrapped itself around the parademon’s knees.

It tried to keep walking, but fell and couldn’t figure out how to get back up. Stephanie brushed her hands together like she was dusting them off and smiled.

Dick had to turn his attention away from what Stephanie was doing and focus on his current fight, but made a mental note to tell Bruce what a valuable asset she was if they survived. Seriously, he’d never met anyone else like her and doubted he ever would again. She was something special.

The parademon currently attacking him had managed to land some solid blows, but just when it was about to do so again, Dick grabbed its arm and flipped it over his shoulder. It hit the ground hard and Dick pinned it there.

That just left the parademon who was fighting Babs. She was doing a fantastic job, having taken its legs out from under it and was repeatedly hitting it with her escrima sticks. She’d even manage to place her blows so strategically it looked on the brink of losing consciousness.

Suddenly, the parademon stood up and grabbed the footplate of her chair, tilting it backwards. Babs dropped her escrima sticks as she tipped over, frantically trying to find something to hold on to. She did her best to scramble away, her legs at an awkward angle and one foot trapped on the metal bar. But the parademon grabbed hold of her by the forearms and pressed something on its armour, then the pair teleported away.

In his distress, Dick forgot about everything except his worry for Babs. He raced over to where her chair lay, one castor wheel spinning lazily as the only evidence of what had happened. “Babs! No, Babs!”

“Dick!” he heard Stephanie scream. Turning, he saw the two remaining parademons setting on her as she curled up, trying to shield herself.

He took a breath to clear his mind then fought better than he ever had, channeling his frustration and rage into energy. He got the parademons to release Stephanie and together they continued the battle.

 

_Dick Grayson’s phone, outgoing voicemail  
Hey, it’s Dick again. One more thing. If I don’t make it home, my siblings can have any of my stuff they want, but don’t let Jason claim my motorcycle. He’s a reckless driver and will probably crash it. That’s all. See you on the other side. Hopefully. _

 

The fight was getting more violent. With Babs gone, the parademons seemingly had no reason to keep Dick and Stephanie alive. They still had a sort of hive mind, but they seemed to have been given a brutality upgrade.

Dick had what would soon be a black eye and what he hoped wasn’t a sprained wrist, but that didn’t stop him fighting like his life depended on it. Because it did. And that of Babs and the Justice League.

Stephanie’s hair was falling out of its ponytail and she had a thin scratch across her cheek, as well as an ugly bruise beginning to form on her left arm. But she wasn’t even close to giving up, and stamped on the nearest parademon’s foot as hard as she could. Dick was proud of her.

Dick remembered what Babs had said and concluded that these demons weren’t very smart and their talents didn’t extend much further than fighting. One item he always carried in his Nightwing outfit was a handful of smoke pellets. They were small and often came in handy, especially in de-escalating conflicts.

So he transferred a few into his palm and waited for the opportune moment. As he went to punch the nearest parademon, he threw them at its face. The demon stumbled back, clawing at its eyes, and Dick quickly did the same to the other one.

Then he grabbed Steph’s arm and pulled her out of the way, ignoring her cries of protest. But as soon as she realised what was happening, she went quiet.

The parademons, angry they had been temporarily blinded, both lurched forward angrily and, unaware they were now fighting each other, continued their bloody beatdown.

Just before things got really brutal, Dick quickly wrapped his arms around Steph and hugged her into his chest so she wouldn’t see what happened next. She started to push away, but he held tight.

The parademons fight became lethal and one ripped the other’s head off as the other tore their chest open. Nauseated, Dick had to look away.

“What happened?” Steph asked, her voice shaky and muffled.

“They’re dead,” Dick replied. “Trust me, you don’t want to see.”

He led her back to the tent, not giving her chance to look back at the corpses, then sat down. Everything in there reminded him of Babs and the weight of missing her threatened to overwhelm him.

Clearly he wasn’t subtle, since Steph said, “We’ll get her back. Don’t worry. If there’s one thing I know about Barbara Gordon it’s that she won’t be defeated by some measly bad guy.”

“Yeah,” Dick said. “Let’s hope you’re right.”

“Oh, I’m right. Just a few hours ago you said yourself I’m very wise.”


	4. Barbara

**Atelophobia - the fear of imperfection, the fear of not being good enough**

Barbara woke up slowly and took a moment to get her bearings. Blinking, she looked at her surroundings. Her glasses had survived the journey, thankfully, and she was able to recognise that she was on the Justice League’s Watchtower.

The second thing she noticed was that she was a prisoner. Namely, she was held in place by handcuffs bolted to the wall, with her arms drawn back slightly and her wrists just above her head. Her feet were brushing the floor at an awkward angle that she figured meant most prisoners, being slightly taller and having use of their legs, would be standing.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” said the voice of her captor. Barbara’s head snapped up and she saw an older woman wearing a hood that obscured her face, watching from the other side of the room. Judging from her size and presumed connection to Apokolips, she was probably one of the female furies, but not a nice one like Big Barda who was a part-time member of the Birds of Prey.

“Haven’t you heard? Monologuing at unconscious prisoners is the latest thing in Villain Vogue,” Barbara said. She was still feeling quite out of it and her voice slurred slightly. She suspected she had been drugged, which was why she’d been unconscious for so long.

“I prefer to monologue at prisoners who are awake.”

“Why? So you can tell them how smart you are?”

“No. To ensure they understand the terms of their imprisonment and what they should do to ensure I don’t become angry.”

“Suppose I wanted to see you angry? It might make things more interesting around here.”

“Now _that_ ,” her captor said, removing something from her coat pocket, “was just the worst possible thing you could have said.” She pointed the object at Barbara. A gun.

Barbara felt sick. She’d come a long way in her recovery from PTSD but the sight of a gun pointing at her brought it all back. The feeling of helplessness and a deep fear she’d never spoken to anybody about - that everything that had happened since then was a dream or hallucination and one day she would wake up and find herself still laying on the floor of her apartment, bleeding out.

Her mind was playing tricks on her, like something out of a horror movie. The light would flicker and instead of her captor she’d see him holding the gun, wearing a hawaiian shirt and holding a camera in his other hand. But it wasn’t real. And she wouldn’t let them win. 

“And what are the terms of my imprisonment?” Barbara asked. Her voice came out strained but level.

The captor said, “I’ll admit I don’t know who you are or what your connection to the Justice League is, but you must be important. Otherwise you would never have gone to Apokolips considering your...condition.” Her gaze slid down to Barbara’s legs.

Rolling her eyes disdainfully, Barbara scoffed. “Ableism, really? I know you’re the bad guy here but come _on_. At least find something original to taunt me with.”

“I’m going to graciously ignore that,” said the captor. “Now, as I was saying. Tell your friends to stop looking for the League and I’ll let you go.”

“Not going to happen.” There was no question of it, she didn’t even pause to consider it.

But apparently her captor didn’t like that, because she walked up to Barbara and hit her across the face with the side of the gun.

It hurt, a lot, but Barbara didn’t let it show. This villain would not get the satisfaction of seeing her in pain. Babs had never been a victim and she wasn’t about to start now. She would have an impressive bruise tomorrow, though.

“My answer is still no,” she said. “Sorry to disappoint.”

The captor drew her hand back as if to strike her again, but changed her mind at the last second. She tucked her gun away and began walking to the door. “I’m sure you’ll come to the right decision soon.”

Her captor left and Barbara decided it was time to get to work on her escape plan.

 

_Oracle’s Audio Log  
I have come a long way since my Batgirl days, and nothing demonstrates that like training the next Batgirl. During No Man’s Land, it was rudely brought to my attention that I had been replaced by none other than Helena Bertinelli. However, it was also at that time that a teenage girl arrived in Gotham looking to escape from her abusive father. She’s a phenomenal fighter and able to read body language like nobody I’ve ever met. She had also never been taught to speak or read. I ended up taking her under my wing, and named her Cassandra. Yes, after the oracle. While I taught her some basic verbal skills we became close and she was my most trusted ally. In a way, she’s almost like a daughter to me. Which is why I felt the time was right to hand the Batgirl mantle down to someone else, and I know Cassandra was the right choice. She’s doing my legacy justice and I’m so proud._

_Stephanie Brown, however, is a different matter entirely. There are a lot more similarities between us than I initially realized but there are still a lot of differences. She’s coming to the vigilante life a good few years after me but sadly Bruce is still reluctant to let girls into his exclusive club. He took to Cassandra well though, I suspect because she’s so similar to him. Neither of them are likely to admit it though. She could even be the next Batman, since Dick doesn’t want the job. But I digress. Stephanie is determined and skilled, although a little hotheaded which gets her into trouble more often than not. She is also bent on proving herself, not just to Gotham’s vigilante set but also to herself I believe. And her dad is the Cluemaster, a B-list villain who causes more annoyance than trouble. I get the impression Stephanie wants to make sure everybody knows she is nothing like him. The two of us have been working together more lately and I’m starting to see her as another apprentice. I know this job is a dangerous one but if I train them, I know they will do a lot of good and I’ll make sure they don’t meet the same fate I did._

 

Barbara began formulating a plan, looking around the space for something she could use. That was when she remembered the teleportation pad on the floor, just within reach of her feet, and the faint glow indicated it was powered on. Perfect. It was a risky move, since she didn’t know where she would end up, but easily her best option.

She used her arms to pull herself up, gaining some more leverage, and swung her body back and forth. As she did this, the metal of her chains grated against the rings on the wall. It was painful, especially as the cuffs twisted and caught the skin of her wrists, but eventually she was able to gain enough momentum to get her foot to hit the teleportation pad.

She barely had time to register how disorientating it was before she landed back outside their tent. Her useless legs folded under her instantly and she heard Dick exclaim, “Babs!”. Then she felt his arms around her as he lowered her to the ground best he could. She ended up lying on her stomach with his arms around her, almost cradling her.

“What happened?” he asked. She felt him move, checking her over for injuries. He had been holding one of her escrima sticks but discarded it on the ground, presumably checking for more enemies.

She clutched his arms and buried her face in his chest, “It was awful. They had a gun, Dick.”

He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. “Shh. It’s alright. It’s over now, you’re safe.”

She relaxed into his embrace. She was just starting to feel herself calm down when she heard Steph step outside to see what all the commotion was.

She saw Steph’s feet stop in their tracks and her incredulous voice exclaim, “O. M. G.”

Dick’s grip on her loosened as he sat up to look at their visitor. “Steph, I promise this isn’t what it looks like.”

“Babs, you’re back! But also I can’t believe I just walked in on you two doing the nasty,” Steph said, taking absolutely no notice of what Dick had just said.

“We weren’t ‘doing the nasty’, as you so eloquently phrased it,” Barbara said. “You’ll notice that we are both fully clothed. And not ten minutes ago I was being held prisoner in the Watchtower. But, true to form, I saved myself.”

“And you did great,” Steph said genuinely. “Truly. We had all the faith in you. I, however, have no faith in both of your abilities to keep it in your pants.”

“We weren’t having sex!” Barbara protested. “Think whatever else you want about us, but we don’t go getting it on _outside_ in the middle of Apokolips shortly after demon fights and kidnappings.”

Steph shrugged. “I don’t know that.”

“You do!”

“We literally just told you,” Dick added.

“Stop laying on top of each other then and maybe I’ll consider the truth of your statement,” Steph said.

Grumbling, Dick gently picked Barbara up and carried her into the tent where he set her back in her wheelchair.

“I’d missed you,” she said, patting the frame.

“Are you talking to your wheelchair?” Steph asked, slightly concerned.

“You got a problem with that?” Barbara glanced up and got her first good look at her companions. “Wow, you two look awful.”

“You should see the other guys,” Dick replied.

“Yeah I think I did,” she said, recalling the grisly remains of the parademons near where she’d landed, “which...yikes. Did you do that?”

“Kind of.” Steph tilted one hand from side to side. “We got them to kill each other. Dick was a genius. Long story.”

Barbara let out a humourless laugh. “Isn’t it always.” Then she remembered her captor and her hand flew to her mouth. “She’ll know I escaped any second now! We need to pack up and get out of here ASAP. I’ll explain everything on the way.”

 

_Oracle’s Audio Log  
One of the advantages of being in a wheelchair - and there are quite a few, trust me - is that people always, always underestimate you. Which is particularly fun when you’re a crimefighter who hangs around a lot of superpowered people. Like I do. Other highlights include premium parking and not standing while waiting in line. I keep meaning to buy a shirt that has the wheelchair symbol on it and says ‘only in it for the parking’. Those do exist and they're pretty cool._

_All jokes aside, people really do assume I’m much less capable than I actually am. But even when that isn’t the case I can still save myself, it just might take a bit more creative problem solving is all. And all that training and practicing I’ve been doing comes in handy on a regular basis. Yet there are still times when I doubt myself. It pains me to admit it, but I guess I’m so used to people projecting this image onto me that sometimes I start to believe it. It’s stupid, I know, but I can’t help it. It’s like, I’m so concerned with people’s expectations because I want to prove them wrong, you know? I’ve been like this all my life. This need to show everyone what I can do. Hopefully I’ll get over it someday._

 

“And that’s pretty much everything.” Barbara finished her recount of what had happened on the Watchtower and it was met with stunned silence from Dick and Steph.

“That sounds like one heck of an ordeal,” Steph said eventually when the awkward silence became too much for her.

“It was. Anyway, I have the beginnings of a theory I want you guys to hear,” Barbara said. “Remember what Zatanna said about their narrow escape a while back?”

Dick and Steph nodded.

“I think this might be related to that. I just need a minute to get the full story. Hold on.”

She focused and delved into her eidetic memory to get the details. She pictured herself sitting in the Clocktower with Dinah, who had told her the story quite early on in their partnership. The memory caused a pang of worry for Dinah, but she suppressed it for the time being. Barbara was on the sofa and Dinah was pacing up and down the living room while talking, overflowing with energy. Barbara was able to mentally reproduce the event right down to the content of Dinah’s speech.

As she recalled, Black Canary, Zatanna, Wonder Woman and Plastic Man had gone to Apokolips but been captured and imprisoned by Granny Goodness and the female furies. Luckily, Zatanna had been able to do some magic that switched their places with that of the female furies and the Justice League had been able to escape. But if Granny Goodness had failed then, it meant there was a high chance this was her trying to finish the job. And _that_ meant there was a possibility the League could be at the same location now.

Realisation dawned on Barbara and she said, “I think I know where we need to go next.”


	5. Stephanie

**I want something more, a life worth fighting for. I don’t need a reason to set the world on fire and burn a little bit brighter now ~ Against the Current, Brighter**

“You’re sure this is the place?” Dick asked Barbara when she stopped in her tracks, a reasonable distance away from their destination. It was a large, Ancient Greek-style arena that they couldn’t see into from their current position.

“I don’t know, how many arenas do you know of in Apokolips?” she replied.

Dick shrugged. “Dunno. You’re the one with the map. Where’d you get that anyway?”

“Dinah constructed it based on what she saw the times she was there, then I supplemented with some secondary sources since I didn’t have any first hand data.”

“One of these days, I’m going to ask you a question and you’ll reply in English.”

“Jamais de la vie!”

Steph nudged Dick in the ribs. “You walked right into that one, you know.”

“Yeah, I kinda did.”

“Anyway to answer your question, I am sure this is the place,” Barbara said. She held up one of her many fancy devices. “See, speed force energy, Kryptonian DNA, the whole shebang.”

Steph knew better than to suggest rushing in to save them. Her first instinct was to get their drone to scope the area out, but since it had been destroyed that wasn’t an option. But they might have something similar.

“Hey Babs, you got a spare drone in that bag of tricks?” she asked.

“No. Why?”

“That’s unlike you not to have a spare,” Dick interjected.

Instead of glaring at him, Barbara just nodded like she was ashamed of herself. “I know. I do, however, have this.” She held up what looked like a long tube.

“What does this do then, Macgyver?” Steph asked.

“It’s a fiber optic camera. Kind of like a very fancy telescope. We just lay this on the edge of the arena and stay out of sight, then we can see what’s going on without being spotted. Ideally.”

“Then let’s go for it.”

They got close enough to feed the camera over the wall so it was pointing down, then made a visual scan of the area. Clearly Granny Goodness didn’t even have a Plan B, since the Justice League were all tied to stone pillars being guarded by the female furies, exactly the same as last time.

Although she had updated her traps slightly, since they were targeted to each member. Superman was held by Kryptonite, Wonder Woman had chains she couldn’t break through, the Flash was in a force field, Black Canary was bound tightly and gagged, and so forth.

It would take a lot to free them without anything going wrong. But Steph felt a plan forming in her mind.

 

_Stephanie Brown’s Journal: Robin Edition_  
Dear Diary,  
Before I get started, I just want to say I totally knew what I was signing up for with this mission and decided to go ahead anyway. Stephanie Grace Brown, a known fool. I don’t regret it, don’t get me wrong, but some stuff here has been...big yikes. The parademons killing each other, for example. Or Babs being kidnapped. I get that she is by no means helpless, I’ve seen the woman fight, but I was still worried about her. And so was Dick. He was nearly crying! I’ve never seen him like that before. I guess it was a sudden reminder of how dangerous this life can be… Whoa, that got dark. 

_Anyway, like I said I don’t regret coming here. Dick Grayson, as in the OG Robin, the guy who made being trained by Batman cool, is proud of me!!! I’m not going to squee. Okay maybe a little. Squee! But he’s so cool and brave and talented, I can’t believe he thinks I’m not, like, a total dork. I have so much admiration for him and I do for Babs as well. She’s been through so much and instead of giving up, she kept going and became even stronger. It’s crazy to think that I might be in the same league as these absolute legends. And Babs is exactly the sort of person I’d want as a mentor, some of the stuff she said to me really struck a chord. I wonder if she’ll train me one day like she does with Cass?  
Lots of love, Steph _

 

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” Steph sat down on the ground and drew a basic diagram on the ground with a twig. “The League are all major badasses who can save themselves, right? They just need the opportunity to do that.”

“So you want to give them a distraction?” Dick guessed.

She pointed the twig at him. “Close. I was thinking...we only really need to free one of them.”

Barbara nodded. “Who can then free someone else, who can then free someone else, ad infinitum.”

“Was that -” Dick scrunched up his nose thoughtfully “- _Latin_?”

The look Barbara gave him was so sappy Steph had to make fake gagging noises before they started making out or something gross like that.

“So Dick and I leap in and I free, I dunno, Superman.” She drew the House of El symbol and a digit 1 beside it. “I only have to smash the Kryptonite, right? Then he can free the Flash who can get everyone out fast.” She added a lightning bolt and digit 2.

Barbara nodded. “The Flash can get you out of there fast as well. Then I’ll be waiting here with my device to transport everyone back to our world.”

Stephanie clasped her hands and waited for their reaction, taking a nervous breath. Time for the moment of truth. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s great,” Dick said.

Steph stared at him. “You...you do?”

“Yeah,” Barbara agreed. “You’ve clearly thought everything through, it makes sense and should go off without a hitch.” She put a hand on Steph’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Stephanie.”

Steph didn’t trust herself to say anything for a minute, since it would likely come out as a squeak, but she was thrilled. “Then let’s get to work.”

 

_Stephanie Brown’s Journal: Robin Edition_  
Dear Diary,  
If you told the Steph of a few months ago that not only would she be Robin, but also that Nightwing and Oracle would listen to her plan, she probably would have fainted on the spot. But that’s where we are right now and honestly? Fainting on the spot isn’t out of the question but it be like that sometimes. And it’s kind of a shame about secret identities because otherwise I would put this on my resumé. And as a certificate framed on my wall. 

_But this is so much bigger than me wanting to prove myself. This is what we do, helping people in danger and doing good. This is about protecting the Justice League, who in turn protect basically the whole world. And this is about me showing the vigilante community that this is something I can do.  
Lots of love, Steph _

 

Dick had a grappling hook in his utility belt, which he fired at the wall of the arena. As soon as it had latched on securely, he took Steph in his arms and leapt off the ledge. The angle of his swing took them in a diagonal arc, which allowed him to slow his descent enough to land gracefully in a perfect crouch.

Steph knew she shouldn’t be too impressed, he was a trapeze artist after all, but she still found herself wanting to applaud when he steadied her back on her feet.

A few of the captive League members looked up in confusion, and from their facial expressions it was likely they hadn’t been given any food or water the whole time they’d been there. Steph’s hands clenched into fists just thinking about it. Given half the chance, she was going to punch Granny Goodness’s lights out.

The female furies reacted instantly and rushed at Dick and Steph, but Dick intercepted before they could reach Steph and began fighting. 

Moving onto the next stage of their plan, Steph began to whack the Kryptonite with a batarang. There wasn’t much of it, just a fist-sized chunk embedded in the chain holding him, but it still took a few solid hits before it began to crack. There was a hairline fracture forming, but the stone was nowhere near shattering. She was beginning to wish she’d done more pushups in gym class.

“Dick!” she shouted. “It won’t break!”

He threw a batarang of his own, which skimmed around the furies then hit one on the head. While they were temporarily distracted, he came over to her and started pummeling the Kryptonite until it smashed.

“What are you doing?” Superman asked, blinking at them.

“We’ve come to save you, haven’t we? Now come on.” Dick hauled him up and motioned for Steph to take some of his weight, then went back to fighting the furies.

“Can you destroy that?” Steph asked Superman, pointing at the device projecting the force field around the Flash.

“I think so.” Stumbling and looking weaker than Steph had ever seen him or wanted to again, he used his laser vision to destroy the device. 

“Superman, free as many people as you can then, Flash, you get us out of here. Alright?”

Flash nodded and Superman moved on, strength slowly returning, and ripped the bonds securing Black Canary. Without hesitating, the Flash picked both her and Steph up, then ran up the side of the arena and deposited them on the ground.

“R...Robin?” she asked, looking at Steph as she helped her to her feet.

“The one and only. Well, one of several actually but yes, I’m the current Robin. How’s it going, Dinah?”

“I’ve been better,” she replied.

“I’ll bet. Babs is just over there. When we have everyone, she’s got a device to transport us all home.”

“I should have known Babs would be in on this rescue mission. And that’s great, I’ve had it up to here with this wretched place.” Canary clapped Steph on the shoulder as she headed over to where Steph had pointed. “Good to see you again, kid.”

Canary had just left when the next League members arrived who were Green Lantern, Superman and Cyborg. Steph gave them directions, then turned her attention back to what was happening in the arena.

All the League members bar Batman were free, and Wonder Woman was helping him break the chains holding him. When they gave way, the pair turned to Dick and postured like they were about to join the fight, although they did not look at their best. Dick was yelling at them though, probably telling them to get out of there and that he could handle it.

The Flash hesitated for a moment, then grabbed them both and carried them to where Steph waited. She pointed them in the right direction, but the Flash refused to go anywhere.

“I can help get Nightwing to safety,” he said.

Steph nodded, glancing back down into the arena where he was fighting three furies at once. She guessed with the Flash’s speed he could get them to Babs without being followed. She looked at the Flash and said, “Run.”


	6. Dick

**Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well ~ Josh Billings**

“We’ve come to save you, haven’t we?” Dick said to Superman, trying for a lighthearted tone but not quite achieving it. “Now come on.”

He did his best to haul Superman to his feet, which wasn’t an easy feat considering the guy’s weight. He was six foot something of pure Kryptonian muscle. Luckily he had recovered enough to more or less hold himself upright, and Dick gestured for Steph to help him.

While she slung Superman’s arm over her shoulder, Dick turned his attention back to the furies. They had been momentarily distracted by his batarang trick, a useful technique Bruce had taught him a long time ago, but he knew that wouldn’t last long.

Sure enough, the furies were advancing on him and they were, well, furious. He could hear Steph talking behind him, but her actual words were drowned out by the heat of battle. She was busy handling the evacuation and none of the League were in a state to fight. For this part, he was on his own.

One thing he was starting to notice about fights in Apokolips: they were brutal. The parademons may have been effectively mindless drones, but the female furies were definitely self aware and intent on doing him some serious damage.

He was managing to keep up the defensive moves without too much difficulty, but that was taking all his effort and concentration. He hadn’t managed a single offensive strike the entire time he’d been there.

Of course, he was aware his mission was to keep the furies busy while the League escaped, but it was incredibly stressful to spend an entire fight defending yourself. It was precarious, like clinging to a ledge but not being able to climb back up.

A familiar rush of wind indicated to Dick that the Flash had begun taking people away from there, and he let out a small sigh in relief. He didn’t have to keep this up for much longer.

“Nightwing!” Batman called, and Dick was so distracted he didn’t get chance to block a punch to the side of his head. His ear started ringing and for a moment he wasn’t sure if he was about to pass out or throw up. In the end he did neither, thankfully.

“Batman,” he replied. He only had the chance to turn his head for a second, and saw that Wonder Woman was pulling on the chains holding him. While turning back, he ducked a vicious elbow jab that would probably have rendered him unconscious, but he’d been forced to move so suddenly that his vision clouded over for a few seconds.

Which meant he had to rely on his other senses until it cleared. Just like fighting in a dark alley in Gotham, he told himself. He felt a breeze towards his legs and struck out with a kick that stopped the fury from tripping him up, and she landed on the ground instead. The stars in front of his eyes cleared just in time to see the fury’s angry expression as she picked herself up.

“Nightwing, we will help you,” Wonder Woman said once Batman was free, but neither of them looked like they were in fighting shape. Although Dick doubted he looked much better, with his injuries still healing after his run-in with the parademons.

“No!” he called back. “This mission was all about saving you! As soon as the Flash comes, get to safety. I can handle this.”

While he was speaking, one of the furies had backed him up against the stone pillar where Black Canary had been tied, and another took that opportunity to throw herself at Batman in a tackle. Dick quickly looked around for something he could use to escape, and that was when it dawned on him. This entire terrain could be used to his advantage if he played his cards right.

Reaching up above his head, he managed to brush his fingers along the top of the stone pillar. Then he jumped, took hold and pulled himself up so he was sitting on the pillar. He then sprung up into a crouch and intercepted the fury. The pair skidded along the floor, the friction tearing a hole in the elbow of Dick’s costume which allowed the gravel to cut his skin, and crashed into the wall of the arena together.

Dick tried to get up as quickly as possible, but stopped when he began coughing. It felt as though something grated on the back of his throat and into his mouth, causing him to spit some blood onto the ground. Using the wall, he dragged himself to his feet and out of the corner of his eye, caught sight of yellow lightning racing down to the arena. With Batman and Wonder Woman safe, he was nearly safe too. All he had to do now was keep the furies distracted right up until the last possible second, so he and his friends could escape without giving them the opportunity to tell Granny Goodness what was happening. 

The furies were getting tired now, he could tell. Their movements were slowing and their punches weren’t quite as bone-shattering as they had been previously. Which would have been useful, except Dick was absolutely exhausted so they were basically at the same place they had been when the fight started.

His trick with the stone pillar had been effective, though, so he decided to keep using the terrain to his advantage. Growing up in the circus, you become as comfortable in the air as you are on the ground. And one of the most useful things his parents had taught him was the three rules of staying alive on a trapeze. They probably didn’t intend for him to use them trying to stay alive while rescuing his friends from a different dimension, but he figured they would just be pleased it was coming in handy.

Rule 1: pick a point. Focus on where you want to land and don’t look away from that spot. Dick looked around the arena. The furies had nearly got him backed up against the wall again, and one jabbed her elbow into his sternum which took the air right out of him. But he found his point. The stone pillar a few feet in front of him.

Rule 2: build yourself a net. This is something to be thinking about in the back of your mind, a way to reassure yourself it won’t all go wrong. In this case, Dick remembered that the Flash would be coming for him any second.

Despite the throbbing pain just about everywhere and his hazy grip on consciousness, he backed up the steps leading up the side of the arena and jumped. In the air, he did two consecutive somersaults and, while he was upside down, he noticed the Flash running towards him.

When all else fails, you turn to Rule 3: pray you land somewhere soft. Dick, however, landed perfectly on top of the stone pillar. He noticed black spots swimming across his vision, which gave him enough warning to faint directly into the Flash’s arms.

 

_Dick Grayson’s phone, outgoing voicemail  
Bruce...I’m recording this without the intention of you ever listening to it. Basically I’m being a huge coward by calling you when I know you can’t answer your phone. We’re on our way to rescue you now - me, Babs and Steph, that is - and there’s no guarantee we will manage to do so. And if that’s the case, there are a few things I want to get off my chest. And if we are successful then I’ll just get Babs to hack your phone and delete this before you get chance to hear it._

_Okay. So you’ve been my guardian since I was a little kid, and you know I care about you but I need to say this anyway. On the worst day of my life, you became my family. Not replacing my parents, since they will always have a special place in my heart, but you made sure I knew I wasn’t alone and that the world wasn’t as dark as it seemed on that day. Since then you and Alfred, you have always been the cornerstones of my world, the people I always know I can rely on. I’m too scared to think what might have happened to me without your help. I guess what I’m trying to say is...I love you and even though we aren’t biologically related you will always be my family and I’m so grateful for everything you have done for me over the years._

 

Dick woke up on the sofa in the Clocktower. Babs was next to him and smiled as soon as she noticed his eyes open.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” she said.

“I died?” he asked, confused. Apparently his brain was taking a while to catch up with the rest of his body.

“No, you just fainted like a damsel in distress,” she teased, and he smiled back at her. “You were extremely banged up after your fight with the furies.”

“Ah yes.” Dick remembered now and scowled at the memory. “The furies.”

“The way you fought was just...I’ve never heard of anything like it. We couldn’t have gotten to safety without you. You’re a hero, Dick.”

“Well.” He chuckled. “I don’t know about _that_.”

From the other end of the room he heard Green Lantern call, “Is he awake?”

“No, I’m talking to him while he’s asleep,” Babs replied with an eye roll. “He’s awake.”

Steph nodded at him on her way to the kitchen. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty.”

Dick tried to sit up but his ribs didn’t like that idea and he winced. All his struggling only managed to adjust his position by a few centimetres.

“Dr Thompkins patched you up but you’re on light duty for a few weeks.” Babs patted him on the shoulder, then left her hand where it was and traced small circles with her thumb.

His slightly more elevated position allowed him to see just how crowded the room was. “Why is the entire Justice League in your apartment?”

“We needed somewhere for them to go after we left Apokolips and the Watchtower has been taken over by Granny Goodness. Don’t worry, we haven’t left a trail or anything they can track. Cyborg and I made sure of that.”

He nodded. Meanwhile, the visitors all came over to speak to him at once and formed a semicircle around the sofa.

Babs motioned for them to move back. “Don’t crowd him, guys. One at a time.”

“May I speak?” Wonder Woman asked.

“Sure,” Dick said.

“We will forever be indebted to you - all of you - for your bravery and resourcefulness in rescuing us,” she said solemnly.

Babs nodded with an equally grave expression, and Dick followed her lead since he didn’t know a whole lot about Themysciran culture.

The others voiced their agreement and said thanks of their own, then broke off into smaller conversational groups.

“Hey Oracle,” Cyborg said. “That’s an impressive computer setup you have there.”

She grinned proudly and Dick chuckled. He knew her computer was her pride and joy. “Thanks. You should see this new CPU I bought…”

Still talking, she headed over to her workstation and began pointing things out to Cyborg, telling him about them excitedly.

“Heaven help us, there’s two of them,” Black Canary said, without any real malice, as she settled herself on the arm of the sofa. “Congrats on being a hero.”

“That’s high praise coming from you,” Dick replied.

She smiled. “It’s typical, though. I join the League for one mission and it ends up being a repeat of Apokolips’ Greatest Hits. Boy am I sick of that place.”

“So you’ll be sticking around in Gotham for a bit?”

“Yeah. Taking it easy, spending time with Babs and Helena then I’ll go back to Starling City. I could do with a break from the intergalactic stuff. Don’t worry though, I have no plans of third-wheeling you and Babs.”

“You’re not gonna blast me with your Canary Cry me for letting her go to Apokolips?”

“As if anyone is capable of stopping her. From what I’ve seen, Babs is gonna do what she’s gonna do - you can either back off or pitch in.”

She looked over and noticed the League were leaving to check out the situation with the Watchtower, so stood up. “I’ll see you around, take care.”

Once everyone else had gone, Babs came over to the sofa followed by Bruce who had removed his cowl.

 

_Dick Grayson’s phone, outgoing voicemail  
Hey Wall, it’s me again. If you’re listening to this one first then just delete the other messages without playing them. And if you’re listening to this after the others then before I tell you anything else, I want to say sorry for being so dramatic. Although in my defense I was fearing for my life. But you don’t need to worry about any of that now because we successfully completed our mission. The Justice League have been rescued, but Barry has probably already told you all about it by the time you’re hearing this, and it was a risky mission but we did our best and it paid off. Huge shoutout to Oracle and Robin, none of us could have done it without each other._

_So yeah, I just wanted to apologise for putting all that on you and tell you that we made it back safely. I’ll come over to Central City and see you as soon as I get chance, or you can run over to Blüdhaven, which would probably be faster now I think about it. Talk to you soon, peace out._

 

“You did good,” Bruce said to Dick. “I’m proud of you. Both of you”

For a second he looked as though he were about to give Dick a hug, but remembered his injuries and instead held out a hand for the world’s most awkward fist bump which Dick obliged.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Babs bite her lip to stop herself laughing. Or maybe it was because she was so overwhelmed to hear Bruce say he was proud of them. Sometimes it was hard to tell with her.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I know I don’t say it often, but it’s true. And the two of you have come so far since the days when you were my apprentices. I am honored to call you my allies and my equals. And as for Stephanie, I’ll speak to her individually and tell her what a good job she did. She’s a credit to the Robin mantle.”

The couple were too stunned to speak. It wasn’t awkward though, since at that moment Bruce frowned thoughtfully then said, “Wait...who was in charge of looking after Gotham while we were all away?”


	7. Barbara

**Sophrosyne - a healthy state of mind characterised by self-control, moderation and a deep awareness of one’s true self, and resulting in true happiness**

“We’re back!” Dick announced as they arrived back at the Batcave.

Barbara rolled her eyes. He sounded like they had just been out to the grocery store for some milk, not a dangerous rescue mission. He also sounded like they hadn’t texted ahead and got everyone to assemble in the cave specifically for this meeting. Which Barbara knew for a fact they had done.

“Master Dick!” Alfred said. He put down the feather duster he’d been holding and came over to where they had assembled. “Looking a little worse for wear, I see.”

“What are you talking about, Alf? I’m a picture of - ow.” He winced and rubbed his bruised ribs.

“I see,” Alfred deadpanned, then fixed Dick with his most disapproving glare. Dr Thompkins had no doubt told him Dick was supposed to be on bedrest.

Barbara resisted the urge to chuckle, then noticed the questioning gazes from Duke, Cass and Kate. So she, Dick and Stephanie moved out of the doorway to reveal Bruce, who was standing there dramatically silhouetted by the light.

Cass elbowed Duke to get his attention then signed ‘dramatic’, making him and Steph laugh. Barbara smiled, as much at their happiness as at Cass’s comment.

“Master Bruce!” Alfred gave him a hearty handshake, then Kate ran over to give him a fistbump.

So that’s who he learned it from, Barbara thought. She had been wondering.

She surveyed the rest of the room, and saw that Steph was chatting animatedly with Cass and Duke, no doubt sharing stories of their respective moments of badassery.

She felt Dick’s hand on her shoulder and reached up to twine her fingers with his. It was nice to have everyone (well, mostly everyone) safe and together again.

Bruce finished catching up with Kate and Alfred, then went over to the teenagers and sat with them. “I see nobody burned down Gotham while I was gone. Who do I have to thank for that?”

“That would be me,” Duke said. Cass and Steph smiled proudly. “They left me in charge.”

“Duke Thomas, it’s an honor to have you on the team. I’m sure you will be a valuable member.”

“Thank you,” Duke replied. He shifted slightly, looking a bit uncomfortable. Barbara sympathised. Bruce could be quite intense if you weren’t used to him.

He spoke to Cass next. “Cassandra, it’s good to see you again.”

She smiled. “You’re back.”

“And I’m not going anywhere soon,” he promised. “Stephanie, we’ve already spoken but I wanted to thank you again for helping rescue the League.” He moved to address the room at large. “Gotham needs me and I need all of you, so I will be remaining here in the city for the foreseeable future. I think we all deserve a well-earned break.”

“I think a celebratory banquet is on order,” Alfred suggested and everyone cheered in response.

 

_Oracle’s Audio Log  
Sometimes it takes a milestone to realise how far you’ve come. That happened to me today, as a matter of fact. As Batgirl I could never have dreamed that one day I’d be part of a mission rescuing the entire Justice League. In fact, I’d have been impressed if one of them had heard of me. But it’s real and it happened. The more I think about it...the more thankful I am for all the people who have come into my life and helped me on this journey to become the best version of myself._

_And now I get to help other people on their journeys. The life of a vigilante isn’t an easy one, which means a good support system and the knowledge that you’re doing the right thing are invaluable resources. We’re a team and I sometimes forget how important that is, but no man is an island and I’m grateful to have all of them. And...the more I think about this, the more I realise Oracle is the person I’m meant to be._


End file.
